So Megs did.
Joe grinned. “Scarlet used to be a thriving town of more than three thousand, and my father and grandfathers bled it dry. I want to give back what was taken and bring the town back to life.”
Megs stared at him for a minute. “I think I like you.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “IknowI like you. Let me show you what else I’m doing.”
Joe drove them toward the center of town to a construction site not far from Food Mart. “This is going to be a brewpub. I named it Knockers after the tommyknockers that the old Cornish miners believed lived in the mines.”
He gave them each a hard hat and led them through the site. “I want the place to be known for good food and excellent homebrews. Over there, we’ll have a stage and a dance floor. The kitchens will be toward the back. We’ll have pool tables, too. I want it to be a hub for the town, a place for locals and tourists alike. I don’t care if it ever makes a profit. If I break even in the first decade, I’ll be more than happy.”
Megs glanced around them. “If you want it to be a destination, you ought to put in a climbing wall.”
Joe stared at her, clearly confused. “Aclimbingwall?”
“Yes, a climbing wall. Make your place a destination for the outdoorsy crowd that passes through on the way to the mountains.”
Mitch nodded. “Not a bad idea.”
Joe seemed taken by the concept. “I like that.”
One of the construction workers motioned for him, so Joe left them to find out what the man needed.
Megs waited until he was gone. “I can tell you really want to move here, that it means a lot to you.”
“We can be a part of bringing Scarlet back to life. We’re up in the mountains, close to the busiest climbing areas where people will need our help. We already know some of the folks who live here.”
Megs drew a breath, kicked at a rock in the dirt. “Okay, love. We’ll settle in your crazy little hometown and give it a go.”
Mitch drew her into his arms. “Thanks, love. I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.”
Megs closed the journal,smiling at the memories. “I completely forgot that the climbing wall wasmyidea. It worked out well, if I do say so myself.”
“It did.” Mitch took the journal, set it on the coffee table, and drew her close. “Thank you … for trust… trusting me, for being w-will… willing to try.”
“I love you, Mitch. I wanted you to be happy. I still do.” But there was something she needed to say. “All these years, I’m the one who’s been in the spotlight. I’ve gotten most of the attention and acclaim.”
“That’s … okay with me.”
It wasn’t okay with Megs. “There isn’t a thing I’ve accomplished that didn’t involve you. You have belayed me through life.”
She knew he would get the metaphor, but she spelled it out anyway. “You’ve been the one who lifted me up, who believed in me, who gave me the confidence to keep going. You’ve been my confidant, my safe place. When I’ve fallen, you’ve caught me. Without you, there’s no Megs Hill, climbing legend. You’ve taken me higher than I would ever have gone without you.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but she pressed her fingers to his lips.
“Just listen for a minute. When you were hurt, I was terrified that I was going to lose you. The hours went by so slowly. For days, I was afraid that every heartbeat would be your last. You want to know who got me through that?”
“Who?”
“Youdid.” Her vision blurred, the emotional toll of the past two months welling up inside her. She blinked the tears away. “Your journal did. I started reading entries because Dr. Schwartz said it might help you. But when I read your entries, you were there with me, beside me. Like everything else in my life,yougot me through that.”
“I’m glad.” He drew her close, rested her head against his chest. “When I die… you will still… have the journ… journals.”
“What if I die first?” She’d thought about this. “I haven’t written anything down—nothing. I kept your notes and letters, but that’s it. You won’t have anything.”
Mitch laughed—not what she’d expected. “Oh, Megs, my …ang… angel. “There’s nothing… in my life th-that isn’t you—the Team… our home, every mem-memory since you … showed up in Yosemite. Those journ… journals… You are on … every page… in every word. You are the breath and the … l-light… betweeneveryline.”
Megs saw the love in his eyes, and her heart seemed to melt. She straddled his lap, cupped his face between her palms. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m going to marry you after all these years and make an honest man of you.”
